Woman accused of killing 9-year-old son showed signs of mental distress, documents show

Amber Lynn James is escorted to her arraignment on a charge of second degree murder on Wednesday in Kitsap County Superior Court. James is accused of killing her 9-year-old son.(Photo: Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun)Buy Photo

PORT ORCHARD — A 47-year-old woman who exhibited signs of mental distress was charged Wednesday in Kitsap County Superior Court with second-degree murder after authorities allege she strangled her 9-year-old son Halloween morning.

Amber Lynn James told investigators she believed she was being followed and had been watching “conspiracy type” videos on youtube.com related to politics and “chemtrails.”

These videos “seemed to have created some anxiety for her,” a Sheriff’s Office detective wrote in charging documents. James also said she had used marijuana the night before and “periodically” takes prescription medication for anxiety.

In court on Wednesday, James' court-appointed attorney asked Judge Leila Mills to postpone her arraignment until Friday so James' attorneys can interview her before she enters a plea.

"We want an opportunity to speak to her in a private setting," public defender Steven Lewis said. James wore a red jail uniform, which signifies she is under maximum security and had been housed in a single-occupant "crisis cell" in the jail.

Mills kept James' bail at $1 million.

At about 7 a.m. Tuesday, medics and deputies were called to the house on Symes Road, near Wildcat Lake in Central Kitsap, when the boy’s father called 911 to report Ryan Tyler Rosales was not breathing.

Buy Photo

The house on Symes Road in Central Kitsap where the deceased nine year old boy lived.(Photo: Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun)

James was at the residence and agreed to speak to investigators, according to documents.

After her son was found dead, James was taken to a hospital for a mental and physical evaluation. At the hospital, James allegedly told a deputy, unprompted, that she killed Ryan by putting her hands around his throat "so he couldn't breathe any longer," according to documents.

“How do I explain to someone why I just (expletive) killed my kid? What is a good explanation of that? I killed my (expletive) kid,” the detective wrote, paraphrasing what James allegedly said to the deputy.

A forensic pathologist told detectives there was evidence of “extreme pressure” applied to his chest, neck and head, advising Ryan died of “homicidal asphyxia and that there was no other medical condition which would have resulted in the injuries observed.”

An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday morning, and the cause of death was found to be "asphyxia."

The physical evaluation was promoted by wounds on James’ neck. When asked about the wounds, James initially said she had fallen but then said, “with the knife” and then made a “horizontal motion” across her neck. A deputy at the hospital reported he overheard James tell a mental health professional that she received a wound on her hand from when Ryan fought back.

Detectives wrote it appeared James had changed her clothes, and they observed what may have been blood at places around the house.

James told investigators she had called 911 multiple times on Monday and stopped by a Washington State Patrol office claiming she was being followed, according to documents. She received “little response,” according to documents.

That day she had picked up her son from Green Mountain Elementary School with the intent of getting a flu shot, which they did not do, and planned to buy “emergency supplies” from Costco. For the next four to five hours they drove around Silverdale and Purdy, where James said she saw the same people or vehicles following them.

James arrived at the Symes Road house Monday night – she lived at a different address but stayed in a spare bedroom of the Symes Road house – and armed herself with knives and a crowbar after hearing things inside the house.

The Ryan's father told deputies he woke up at 4 a.m. and could hear James upstairs walking around, “alarmed about people being outside,” and told her to go to bed before returning to bed himself. Ryan’s father said he did not notice wounds on James at that time.

CLOSE

Amber Lynn James was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder in the death of her 9-year-old son.
Wochit

In the room where James was staying, investigators found words written and carved on the wall.

After waking up at about 6:10 a.m. and taking a shower, Ryan's father noticed the strong smell of propane in the house and found all four burners on the kitchen range turned on with burner caps removed.

He went to the bedroom where James was staying and confronted her about turning on the gas, which she denied, and noticed the wounds on her neck.

Ryan's father opened the windows and went to give his son a kiss, which is when he noticed the boy was cold and unresponsive. He began giving Ryan CPR and called 911.

During another interview with investigators, James asked for an attorney, which ended questioning. She had on her person cloves of garlic, cigarette lighters and a vial of holy water. She told a detective, unprompted, that the night before she had said a prayer “for my baby” with the holy water.

The death stunned neighbors on Symes Road, located near Green Mountain and Lake Symington in Central Kitsap.

Arguimedes Geigle lives in a house on the street around the corner from Symes Road, but doesn't know anyone who lives there.

"Everyone just kind of keeps to themselves. ... There's not much community unity here, although it's a great neighborhood," Geigle said.

"None of us suspected this would happen here," Geigle said. "It's just taken everyone by surprise."

Reporter Julianne Stanford contributed to this report.

Buy Photo

A bouquet of flowers at the end of Symes Road in Central Kitsap, where 9-year-old Ryan T. Rosales was killed early Tuesday.(Photo: Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun)